ABSTRACT
Organic afterglow with long-persistent luminescence (LPL) after photoexcitation is highly attractive, but the realization of narrowband afterglow with small full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) is a huge challenge since it is intrinsically contradictory to the triplet- and solid-state emission nature of organic afterglow. Here, narrow-band, long-lived, and full-color organic LPL is realized by isolating multi-resonant thermally activated delayed fluorescent (MR-TADF) fluorophores in a glassy steroid-type host through a facile melt-cooling treatment. Such prepared host becomes capable of exciton dissociation and recombination (EDR) upon photoirradiation for both long-lived fluorescence and phosphorescence; and, the efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the host to various MR-TADF emitters leads to high-performance LPL, exhibiting small FWHM of 33 nm, long persistent time over 10 s, and facile color-tuning in a wide range from deep-blue to orange (414-600 nm). Moreover, with the extraordinary narrowband LPL and easy processability of the material, centimeter-scale flexible optical waveguide fibers and integrated FWHM/color/lifetime-resolved multilevel encryption/decryption devices have been designed and fabricated. This novel EDR and singlet/triplet-to-singlet FRET strategy to achieve excellent LPL performances illustrates a promising way for constructing flexible organic afterglow with easy preparation methods, shedding valuable scientific insights into the design of narrow-band emission in organic afterglow.
ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ecliptea herba, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine for hair loss, was first recorded in the Tang Dynasty's 'Qian Jin Yue Ling', of which the active ingredients and mechanisms of action in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced hair loss remain poorly investigated. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the effects of the petroleum ether extract of Eclipta (PEE) on alopecia and follicle damage and elucidate its potential therapeutic mechanisms using the integration of network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and experimental validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UPLC-MS was used to analyse the chemical composition of PEE. A network pharmacology approach was employed to establish the 'components-targets-pathways' network of PEE to explore potential therapeutic pathways and targets. Molecular docking was used for validation, and the mechanism of PEE in treating chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) was elucidated using in vitro and in vivo on CIA models. RESULTS: UPLC-MS analysis of PEE revealed 185 components, while network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed potential active compounds and their target molecules, suggesting the involvement of core genes, such as TP53, ESR1, AKT1, IL6, TNF, and EGFR. The key components included wedelolactone, dimethyl-wedelolactone, luteoloside, linarin, and hispidulin. In vivo, PEE promoted hair growth, restored the number of hair follicles, and reduced follicle apoptosis. Conversely, in vitro, PEE enhanced cell viability, reduced apoptosis, and protected HaCaT cells from damage induced by 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC). CONCLUSIONS: PEE alleviated hair follicle damage in CIA mice by inhibiting the P53/Fas pathway, which may be associated with inhibiting hair follicle cell apoptosis. This study provides a novel therapeutic strategy for treating cyclophosphamide-induced hair loss.
Subject(s)
Alopecia , Eclipta , Signal Transduction , Animals , Humans , Male , Mice , Alkanes , Alopecia/chemically induced , Alopecia/drug therapy , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/toxicity , Apoptosis/drug effects , Cyclophosphamide/toxicity , Eclipta/chemistry , HaCaT Cells , Hair Follicle/drug effects , Hair Follicle/metabolism , Molecular Docking Simulation , Network Pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/geneticsABSTRACT
Chronic lowgrade inflammation defines obesity as a metabolic disorder. Alterations in the structure of gut flora are strongly associated with obesity. Lactoferrin (LF) has a biological function in regulating intestinal flora. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic and anti-inflammatory effects of LF in obese mice based on intestinal flora. A total of 30 C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups consisting of 10 mice each. Subsequently, one group was fed a normal diet (Group K), another group was fed a highfat diet (Group M) and the remaining group switched from regular drinking to drinking 2% LF water (Group Z2) after 2 weeks of highfat diet; all mice were fed for 12 weeks. After the experiment, the mouse blood lipid and lipopolysaccharide levels, levels of inflammatory factors and intestinal tight junction proteins were assessed. Mouse stool samples were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. The results showed that LF reduced serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and lowdensity lipoprotein levels, elevated highdensity lipoprotein levels, suppressed metabolic endotoxemia and attenuated chronic lowgrade inflammatory responses in obese mice. In addition, LF upregulated zonula occludens1 and occludin protein expression levels in the intestine, thereby improving intestinal barrier integrity. LF altered the intestinal microbial structure of obese mice, reduced the ratio of Firmicutes and an elevated ratio of Bacteroidota, modifying the bacterial population to the increased relative abundance of Alistipes, Acidobacteriota, Psychrobacter and Bryobacter.
Subject(s)
Diet, High-Fat , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Inflammation , Lactoferrin , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Obese , Obesity , Animals , Lactoferrin/pharmacology , Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects , Mice , Obesity/metabolism , Obesity/drug therapy , Male , Inflammation/drug therapy , Inflammation/metabolism , Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects , Occludin/metabolism , Occludin/genetics , LipopolysaccharidesABSTRACT
The perovskite/Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS) tandem solar cells (TSCs) presents a compelling technological combination poised for the next generation of flexible and lightweight photovoltaic (PV) tandem devices, featuring a tunable bandgap, high power conversion efficiency (PCE), lightweight flexibility, and enhanced stability and durability. Over the years, the imperative to enhance the performance of wide bandgap (WBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has grown significantly, particularly in the context of a flexible tandem device. In this study, an all-round passivation strategy known as Dual Passivation at Grains and Interfaces (DPGI) is introduced for WBG PSCs in perovskite/CIGS tandem structures. The implementation of DPGI is tailored to improve film crystallinity and passivate defects across the solar cell structure, leading to a substantial performance enhancement for WBG PSCs. Subsequently, both rigid and flexible tandem devices are assembled. Impressively, a fully flexible 4T perovskite/CIGS TSCs is successfully fabricated with a PCE of 26.57%, making it the highest value in this field and highlighting its potential applications in the next generation of flexible lightweight PV tandem devices.
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Depression is a prevalent affective disorder and constitutes a leading cause of global disability. The limitations of current pharmacological interventions contribute to the substantial health burden attributed to this condition. There is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of depression, making pre-clinical models with translational potential highly valuable. Mongolian medicine, a subset of traditional medicine, posits that disease occurrence is closely tied to the equilibrium of wind, bile, and Phlegm. In this study, we introduce a protocol for the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) method in rats. Within this framework, rats are subjected to a series of fluctuating, mild stressors to induce a depression-like phenotype, mimicking the pathogenesis of human depression. Behavioral assays employed in this protocol include the sucrose preference test (SPT), indicative of anhedonia-a core symptom of depression; the open field test (OFT), which measures anxiety levels; and the Morris water maze test (MWM), which evaluates spatial memory and learning abilities. The CUMS method demonstrates the capability to induce anhedonia and to cause long-term behavioral deficits. Furthermore, this protocol is more aligned with Mongolian medical theory than other animal models designed to elicit depression-like behavior. The development of this animal model and subsequent research provide a robust foundation for future innovative studies in the realm of Mongolian medicine.
Subject(s)
Medicine, Mongolian Traditional , Stress, Psychological , Animals , Rats , Spatial Memory , Depression , AnxietyABSTRACT
Acute ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation is the major external factor causing photodamage. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. polysaccharides (DNPs) on photodamage in HaCaT keratinocytes after UVB irradiation and the underlying mechanisms. We found that DNPs significantly attenuated the decline in the viability and proliferation of HaCaT cells after UVB irradiation. Moreover, DNPs scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS), improved the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, and reduced the levels of malondialdehyde, while partially attenuating cell cycle arrest, suggesting their antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was found to be important for the attenuation of UVB-induced photodamage in the HaCaT cells. Furthermore, DNPs exerted cytoprotective effects by downregulating UVB-induced ROS-mediated phosphorylation of MAPKs, including p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and by inhibiting p53 expression as well as the apoptotic cascade response. Therefore, DNPs ameliorated UVB-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis in HaCaT cells via the regulation of MAPKs. Our findings thus highlight the Dendrobium nobile Lindl polysaccharides as promising therapeutic candidates for UVB-induced photodamage.
Subject(s)
Dendrobium , HaCaT Cells , Humans , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , HaCaT Cells/metabolism , Dendrobium/metabolism , Cell Line , Oxidative Stress , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Antioxidants/metabolism , Apoptosis , Keratinocytes/metabolism , Polysaccharides/pharmacology , Polysaccharides/metabolism , Ultraviolet Rays/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Acute ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation predominantly leads to various skin disorders caused by photodamage. The major causes of UVB-induced photodamage include oxidative stress, inflammatory infiltration and collagen degradation. The aim of the study was to elucidate whether DNP had protective effect on the skin of KM mice when exposed to UVB irradiation. The DNP protective properties to skin appearance and histopathological alterations in KM mice were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining, toluidine blue staining, Gomori staining and Masson's trichrome staining and mast cell staining. In this study, DNP pretreatment promoted the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, while decreased malondialdehyde level in UVB-irradiated skin, along with downregulation of proteins expression of matrix metalloproteinases and reduction in the level of the proinflammatory cytokines. Based on these findings, we demonstrated that DNP displayed strong ameliorative effects on UVB-induced acute photodamage for the first time, indicating that it would be a promoting ingredient candidate that could be used in antiphotodamage.
Subject(s)
Dendrobium , Mice , Animals , Dendrobium/metabolism , Skin/metabolism , Oxidative Stress , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Antioxidants/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Inflammation/metabolism , Matrix Metalloproteinases/metabolism , Polysaccharides/pharmacology , Polysaccharides/metabolism , Ultraviolet Rays/adverse effects , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolismABSTRACT
Apoptosis is a physiological process that occurs in all cell types of the human body, and it profoundly changes the fate of hair by affecting hair follicle cells. This review outlines the cellular changes, intrinsic biochemical characteristics, and mechanisms underlying apoptosis and summarizes the hair follicle life cycle, including development, cycle stages, and corresponding cellular changes. Finally, the relationship between apoptosis and the hair cycle is discussed and the significance of apoptosis in hair loss conditions and drug treatments is highlighted. Apoptosis induces cellular changes and exhibits distinctive properties through intricate signaling pathways. Hair follicles undergo cyclic periods of growth, regression, and dormancy. Apoptosis is closely correlated with the regression phase by triggering hair follicle cell death and shedding. Regulation of apoptosis in hair follicles plays an essential role in hair loss due to maladies and drug treatments. Mitigating apoptosis can enhance hair growth and minimize hair loss. A comprehensive understanding of the correlation between apoptosis and the hair cycle can facilitate the development of novel treatments to prevent hair loss and stimulate hair regeneration.
Subject(s)
Apoptosis , Hair Follicle , Humans , Alopecia/drug therapy , Hair , Cell DeathABSTRACT
To study the mechanism of lactoferrin (LF) regulating metabolic disorders in nutritionally obese mice through intestinal microflora. Twenty-one male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, model group and LF treatment group. The mice in control group were fed with maintenance diet and drank freely. The mice in model group were fed with high fat diet and drank freely. The mice in LF treatment group were fed with high fat diet and drinking water containing 2% LF freely. Body weight was recorded every week. Visceral fat ratio was measured at week 12. Blood glucose and serum lipid level were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. The gut microbiota of mice was examined using 16 s rRNA sequencing method. LF treatment significantly reduced the levels of visceral adipose ratio, blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in high-fat diet mice (p < 0.05). It can be seen that drinking water with 2% LF had a significant impact on metabolic disorders. At the same time, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio(F/B) of LF treated mice was decreased. The abundance of Deferribacteres, Oscillibacter, Butyricicoccus, Acinetobacter and Mucispirillum in LF treatment group were significantly decreased, and the abundance of Dubosiella was significantly increased (p < 0.05). In the LF-treated group, the expression levels of glucose metabolism genes in gut microbiota were increased, and the expression levels of pyruvate metabolism genes were decreased. It can be seen that metabolic disorders were related to intestinal flora. In conclusion, LF regulates metabolic disorders by regulating intestinal flora.
Subject(s)
Drinking Water , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Metabolic Diseases , Animals , Blood Glucose , Cholesterol/pharmacology , Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects , Firmicutes , Lactoferrin/pharmacology , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BLABSTRACT
Hair serves important physiological functions, including temperature regulation and scalp protection. However, excessive shedding not only impacts these functions but can also significantly affect mental health and quality of life. Tianma Gouteng decoction (TGD) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of various conditions, including hair loss. However, the associated mechanism underlying its anti-alopecia effect remains unknown. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate these mechanisms by employing systematic biology approaches, as well as in vitro and in vivo experimental validation. The chemical constituents of Tianma Gouteng decoction were identified using UHPLC-MS/MS, from which 39 potential bioactive components were screened, while an additional 131 putative Tianma Gouteng decoction beneficial components were extracted from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database. We then applied a dual-dimensional network pharmacology approach to analyze the data, followed by validation studies combining molecular docking techniques with in vivo and in vitro experiments. From the 39 bioactive components, including quercetin, luteolin, fisetin, wogonin, oroxylin A, boldine, tetrahydroalstonine, and galangin A, 782 corresponding targets were identified. In particular, GSK3ß and ß-catenin exhibited strong binding activity with the bioactive compounds. Hence, construction of a bioactive component-target network revealed that the mechanism underlying the anti-alopecia mechanism of Tianma Gouteng decoction primarily involved the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Moreover, C57BL/6J mice exhibited measurable improvements in hair follicle regeneration following treatment with Tianma Gouteng decoction. Additionally, ß-catenin and p-GSK3ß levels were upregulated, while GSK3ß was downregulated in Tianma Gouteng decoction-treated animals and dermal papilla cells compared to control group. These in vivo and in vitro outcomes validated the targets and pathways predicted in the network pharmacology analysis of Tianma Gouteng decoction. This study provides a systematic analysis approach to identify the underlying anti-alopecia mechanisms of Tianma Gouteng decoction, further providing theoretical support for clinical assessment of Tianma Gouteng decoction.
ABSTRACT
Achieving single-component white organic afterglow remains a great challenge owing to the difficulties in simultaneously supporting long-lived emissions from varied excited states of a molecule for complementary afterglow. Here, an extraordinary tri-mode emission from the radiative decays of singlet (S1 ), triplet (T1 ), and stabilized triplet (T1 * ) excited states was proposed to afford white afterglow through modulating the singlet-triplet splitting energy (ΔEST ) and exciton trapping depth (ETD ). Low-lying T1 * for yellow afterglow was constructed by H-aggregation engineering with large ETD and trace isomer doping, while high-lying T1 and S1 for blue afterglow with thermally activated emission feature were realized by reducing ΔEST through donor-acceptor molecular design. Therefore, the single-component white afterglow with high efficiency of 14.1 % and a lifetime of 0.61â s was achieved by rationally regulating the afterglow intensity ratios of complementary emissions from S1 , T1 , andâ T1 *.
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Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) molecules, especially those with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) properties, have attracted considerable attention due to their great potential for chiroptical organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices. Here we developed a new pair of TADF emitters with CPL based on boron complexes using chiral donor (cD) binaphthalene, acceptor (A) biphenyl boron ß-diketonate, and donor (D) biphenylamine in a cD-A-D architecture. With this design, both efficient intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and chiral ICT for high-performance CPL were established, leading to high dissymmetry factors (|glum|) up to 2.2 × 10-3 in solution and significantly red-shifted emission around 600 nm for red TADF with a quantum yield over 15% in doped films. More impressively, with these chiral TADF emitters, solution-processed red circularly polarized OLEDs (CP-OLEDs) exhibit external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) up to 2.0% and efficient circularly polarized electroluminescence with dissymmetry factors of 2.6 × 10-3, which are among the best performances of the reported solution-processed orange-red and red TADF CP-OLEDs. These results illustrate the great success of the cD-A-D strategy in designing high-performance CPL TADF emitters with axially chiral boron complexes, providing important clues to understand efficient chiral transfer for large |glum| values and high device performance of CP-OLEDs.
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Organic ultralong room temperature phosphorescence (OURTP) materials with photophysical properties sensitive to external stimulus are highly attractive for advanced applications. However, most OURTP molecules are in crystal and OURTP materials with good practicability and stimulus-responsive character are hard to be achieved. Here, we report, for the first time, the highly efficient, ultralong-lived and deep-blue OURTP materials by simply doping boron phosphor into cyanuric acid host. Host-guest OURTP composites with abundant and tunable H-bond network are highly stable in air with ultralong lifetime of 5.08â s at room temperature. They are sensitive to water, which can strength the H-bond network to significantly enhance OURTP quantum yield from 16.1 % to 37.6 %. Anti-counterfeiting paper was easily prepared for water-jet printing; the jet-printed high-resolution OURTP patterns can be easily erased by solvent fuming for another printing/erasing cycle with high reversibility.
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Organic semiconductors with bipolar transporting character are highly attractive as they offer the possibility to achieve high optoelectronic performance in simple device structures. However, the continual efforts in preparing bipolar materials are focusing on donor-acceptor (D-A) architectures by introducing both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing units into one molecule in static molecular design principles. Here, we report a dynamic approach to construct bipolar materials using only electron-donating carbazoles connected by N-P=X resonance linkages in a donor-resonance-donor (D-r-D) structure. By facilitating the stimuli-responsive resonance variation, these D-r-D molecules exhibit extraordinary bipolar properties by positively charging one donor of carbazole in enantiotropic N+=P-X- canonical forms for electron transport without the involvement of any acceptors. With thus realized efficient and balanced charge transport, blue and deep-blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes hosted by these D-r-D molecules show high external quantum efficiencies up to 16.2% and 18.3% in vacuum-deposited and spin-coated devices, respectively. These results via the D-r-D molecular design strategy represent an important concept advance in constructing bipolar organic optoelectronic semiconductors dynamically for high-performance device applications.